Lab Safety and Facility Policies

MSE Lab Safety Information and Policies

Students, researchers, teaching assistants, staff and faculty must abide by these policies for lab safety.  Noncompliance will result in an individual's immediate removal from the lab until their instructor or supervisor determines is it safe for them to return. 

Emergency Contacts / Incident Reporting

Add Penn Public Safety to your mobile phone contact list.  Mobile phone service in the LRSM basement may be weak.  Use campus phones when possible for emergencies.

• Call Penn Public Safety in the event of any fire, life-safety, or security emergency. Penn Public Safety is more aware of the location on campus than Philadelphia Emergency Dispatch and can expedite assistance.

• Call EHRS in the event of any chemical emergency or spill.  Contact Penn Public Safety only if the spill involves a fire, imminent risk of fire, an injury requiring an ambulance, or if there is a hazard that may affect others in the building.

• Call the LRSM building administrator or call 215-898-7208 (after hours) for facility emergencies (water leaks, power outage, abnormal lab temperature, etc.). 

• Immediately inform the Teaching Assistant or Lab Instructor of any emergency involving students in a lab class.

• Inform the Lab Manager as soon as possible after any incident (in person or call mobile phone number posted on office door, room 7A).

Emergency Response Procedures

• In the case of fire, notify everyone to clear the area immediately, sound the building alarm, then call Penn Public Safety.  There is a fire extinguisher in every lab, however it is crucial that the operator be familiar with the proper operation and contents of the extinguisher before attempting to combat an early stage fire.  Do not attempt to fight a fire alone or use a portable fire extinguisher on a well-established fire.

• In the case of chemical contact, cut, or puncture, flush the affected area for 15 minutes with soap and water.  If splashed in eyes, use emergency eyewash.  Hold both eyes open and flush for 15 minutes.

• Students must follow the Emergency Response Procedures for Teaching Labs posted at eye wash and PPE stations in the lab.

Lab Attire

• Closed toed shoes and long pants must be worn at all times in the lab. 

• Tight-fitting leggings and tops not covering shoulders or midriff are not appropriate for the lab.   

• Remove any dangling wardrobe accessories (necklaces, bracelets, scarfs, etc.) and tie back long hair.  

• Students without proper attire will not be allowed to participate in lab activities.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Safety glasses must be worn at all times in the lab. 

• Lab coats must be worn when working with chemicals and/or working in areas where chemicals are handled or stored.

• Additional PPE may be required for specific tasks. This includes, but is not limited to: chemical-handling gloves, aprons, goggles, face shields, heat-resistant gloves, and cryogenic gloves.  Know how and when to use specialized PPE.  The Teaching Assistant or Lab Instructor will provide this information for students.  

• Task-specific PPE should only be used for the purpose for which it is designed, e.g., cryogenic gloves should not be used to handle hot objects. 

Laboratory Hygiene and Decorum

• Eating, drinking, chewing gum, and the application of cosmetics are prohibited in the lab.  The computer lab and Lab Manager's office (rooms 7 and 7A) are exceptions; no chemicals or lab PPE should be brought into these rooms.

•  Disruptive or destructive behavior will not be tolerated.

• Work neatly, taking care to avoid chemical spills or the spread of chemicals beyond the immediate work area.

• Remove chemically contaminated gloves immediately upon contamination, wash hands, and don new gloves. 

• Do not re-use disposable gloves.

• Do not handle personal items (e.g., phone, laptop, or tablet), common use surfaces (e.g., lab electronics, knobs and handles, drawers, doors, and storage boxes), or leave the lab while wearing chemical-handling gloves.

  • When using analytical equipment with samples requiring chemical-handling gloves, use a gloved hand to handle the samples and your other un-gloved hand to touch surfaces to remain contamination-free.

  • If gloves must be worn during equipment use (e.g., when using a mass balance), cover the equipment touch points (e.g., the keypad and draft shield door handle on a balance) with a disposable protective barrier appropriate for the chemical being used (e.g., plastic cling film) and/or decontaminate surfaces after use with a mild cleaner (e.g. Virex one-step disinfectant cleaner) and disposable wipe (e.g. paper towel).

  • If gloves are worn to handle clean, non-hazardous samples (e.g. to protect the sample from contamination), you may leave your gloves on when touching lab equipment surfaces.

• Wash your hands after removing gloves and before touching your face, handling personal items, or leaving the lab.

Waste Management

• Do not dispose of plastic pipettes or syringes, glass, sharps, chemicals, or chemical-contaminated items in the trash or sinks.  Reminder signage is posted on trash, glass, and sharps receptacles in the lab.  

• Follow EHRS guidelines for the proper disposal of laboratory waste.  Hazardous waste generators are responsible for tagging containers and arranging for pickup by EHRS in a timely manner.  Speak with the Lab Manager before starting a new waste stream in the lab's satellite accumulation sites.

• Students must follow waste disposal instructions provided in the written procedure and/or in-person by their lab instructor.

Do Not Work Alone

Make sure there is someone in the vicinity when:

• Working after business hours or when lab staff are not present.

• Working with voltages greater than 30V.

• Working with power tools.

• Working with chemicals.

• Working with temperatures greater than 100°C.

Work Informed

• All users must complete the full EHRS Introduction to Physical Science Lab Safety program before working independently in the MSE laboratory.

• Know the location of the nearest exit, sink, eyewash, safety shower, and campus phone.  See LRSM  basement map below.  MSE Lab spaces are highlighted in blue.

• Know the hazards of the chemicals or equipment with which you are working BEFORE you start a procedure.  Read and follow task and equipment-specific protocols carefully.  Be attentive to the directions of the lab instructors and/or staff and ask for assistance if you are unsure about anything.

• Assess the risks of unexpected but possible outcomes before performing a task and take measures to minimize risk.

Student Supervision

• With the exception of using the computers in room 7, students are not authorized to enter the MSE Lab outside of class time without making arrangements with the course Instructor or Lab Manager.

• For undergraduate research or senior design project work, a graduate student or post-doc with expertise in subject matter may supervise the students; however, the supervisory relationship must be designated and clearly communicated.  Low-risk activities like running non-hazardous samples on analytical equipment do not require active supervision, but all experiments must be reviewed by a supervisor in advance to ensure the students are aware of proper protocols and to determine when active supervision is necessary.

MSE Lab General Facility Policies

1. Access to the MSE Departmental Lab is only granted to individuals enrolled in MSE lab courses and those who complete the research user registration process.  Entry door key codes are not to be shared.  

2. Corridor lab doors are to be closed and locked at all times.  Doors may only be propped open for moving items in and out of the lab.

3. Enter the main lab facility through room 7 and leave your personal items in the lockers outside the entrance (do not take coats or bags into the labs).  

4. Do not use any equipment or perform any procedures for which you have not received training and approval from the lab staff, your supervisor, and/or your course instructor.  If you are not completely confident in the task you are about to perform, ASK QUESTIONS FIRST.

5. Treat all lab equipment with care and report any malfunction or breakage immediately.

6. Do not remove any equipment or supplies from the lab without permission. After permission is granted, fill out the Equipment Loan form.

7. Lab supplies are primarily stocked for use in classes and undergraduate projects.  Generally, researchers are expected to bring their own consumables to the lab, but common use items (acetone, alcohol, wipes, etc.) are available.  If you notice something running low please notify the lab staff.  

8. Clean up your work area when finished or at the end of each day.  Unplug all portable heat sources (heat guns, hot plates, etc.), close/cover and label any experiments in progress, close the fume hood sash, and turn out the lights if you are the last person in the room at the end of the day.

9. Use of the MSE Lab and/or instruments should be acknowledged in publications with the following text :

The authors gratefully acknowledge the use of facilities and instrumentation (specify which equipment) supported by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering Departmental Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania.

Use of the Instron 5564 Tabletop Universal Testing Machine should be acknowledged in publications with the following text:

The authors gratefully acknowledge use of facilities and instrumentation supported by NSF through the University of Pennsylvania Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) (DMR-1720530).

LRSM Basement Map